In 1861, political events interrupted campus activities at the University of Mississippi; many students withdrew before the end of the school term to enlist in the Confederate Army. Most joined a company called the "University Greys", C.S.A. Army of Northern Virginia, 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Company A, while others joined the Lamar Rifles, C.S.A. Army of Northern Virginia, 11th Mississippi Infantry Regiment, Company G, or returned home to enlist in local units. With only four students registered for fall classes, the university closed until 1865. Many members of the class of 1861 lost their lives fighting for the Confederacy. In 1866 the University of Mississippi awarded the class of 1861 diplomas; only one member of the University Greys could attend the ceremony.

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